HOUSTON, July 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Business at the Port of Houston Authority terminals continues at a record pace. Nearly 20 million tons of cargo has crossed the Port Authority docks since the first of this year through June, Executive Director Roger Guenther announced in his report to the Port Commission today during the regular monthly meeting.

Guenther identified loaded container units and steel imports as the key performance drivers responsible for the strong solid growth in cargo. Year to date through June, the Port Authority's Barbours Cut and Bayport Container Terminals showed a 20 percent increase in loaded container units. The general cargo terminals showed a robust 26 percent growth in import steel tonnage during this same period.

"Business has reached its highest levels across several key business lines during recent years," Guenther said in his report to the Commission. "And, we must continue to strategically plan for the future opportunities," he further stated.

As an example of strategically providing the right services for its customers and creating opportunities, Guenther reported that the Port Authority successfully assumed full operations of the Maersk terminal Monday as part of a mutually agreed lease termination authorized by the Port Commission in May. Now with capacity to operate the entire terminal property, the Port Authority can distribute container volumes more evenly between its two container handling facilities. The result will be better service to trucks through common gates, more flexibility to ocean carriers and greater efficiencies in the container yards. Maersk Line, and its affiliated shipping services, SeaLand and Safmarine, will continue to call at the Port of Houston Authority terminals as common carriers.

Guenther also reported that Frontier Logistics completed their option period and committed to move forward on the development of an approximately 55 acre rail-served warehouse adjacent to the Barbours Cut Terminal. The initial phase is expected to be completed in 2017 and will include a resin packaging warehouse with products that can be shipped through Barbours Cut and Bayport Terminals. This 30-year lease with Frontier Logistics helps secure the plastics export business through the Houston region.

The next regular Port Commission meeting will be held September 29. There will be no meeting in August.

For more than 100 years, the Port of Houston Authority has owned or operated the public cargo-handling facilities of the Port of Houston – the nation's largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage. The port is an economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the nation. It supports the creation of more than one million statewide jobs and more than 2.1 million nationwide jobs, and the generation of economic activity totaling more than $178.5 billion in Texas and $499 billion across the nation. For more information, visit the Port Authority website at: www.portofhouston.com